(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) KABUL - A new USAID-funded coldstorage facility at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) will enableexporters to increase shipments of perishable fresh fruits and vegetables tohigh-paying international markets, minimizing product loss and maximizingprofit.
The facility was inaugurated ata ceremony on July 13 at the HKIA Customs Export Warehouse with keynote guestsfrom the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation andLivestock, and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
His Excellency Deputy MinisterHashmatullah Ghafoory, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestockthanked USAID for helping remove a long-standing impediment for large-scale airexports. He further pointed out that this HKIA Cold Storage facility will serveas an excellent model for replication elsewhere in the country.
"We have buyers in Dubai,India and Europe who are interested in fresh fruits," said ZabihullahEhsan, president of Tak Dana Ltd. "Our fresh fruit exports require aconsistent cold chain, but the cold chain could not be maintained due to thelack of cold storage at the airport. This safeguards the fresh fruit in case offlight cancellation or delay and ultimately gives us a chance to compete inthose markets."
Last month's "Made inAfghanistan: Nature's Best" Mumbai Trade Mission, also supported by USAID,demonstrated the growing demand for Afghan fresh fruit on the Indiansubcontinent.(PR)
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